BCCI panel meets, no Lalit Modi deposition

The hearing of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s disciplinary committee probing charges against former T20 league commissioner Lalit Modi held on Monday did not arrive at any decision.

While a senior Board official said the panel is likely to pronoune its verdict in May, Modi's legal team was highly critical of the panel. BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Chirayu Amin are members of the committee.

The much-awaited deposition by Modi, who lives in London, did not take place on Monday. His general counsel, Mehmood Abdi, slammed the panel.

Abdi said, “The committee denied Lalit Modi a chance to present his case via video link whereas witnesses appearing for the BCCI have been afforded this facility. They've also refused to take his evidence running into 229 pages on record on the ground that he was late by 32 hours. We explained that as he is undergoing dental treatment, he is not in a position to talk and offered his availability on video link for cross examination in the second week of May.”

Abdi added, “This inquiry has been going on for the last three years. A lot of witnesses (we) have gone through and evidence and other documents running into thousands of pages have been collected but the committee chose to allow Modi's legal team only three hours to present its case which is humanly impossible.”

Modi was suspended in 2010 following allegations of 'individual misdemeanors' amidst a controversy surrounding the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise.